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What the Region of Waterloo's 2020 budget will cost the average household

KITCHENER --
The Region of Waterloo finalized its 2020 budget on Wednesday evening, detailing how it will pay for everything from road sweepers to paramedics for the coming year.

The total, more than $570 million, is 3.8 per cent over last year's budget.

That works out to an increase of $79 on the average home valued at $344,000.

The largest part of the budget goes to police services: initially, police had asked for a budget increase of 7.2 per cent, but were able to shave it down to a 6.2 per cent increase.

That increase will cost the average homeowner another $28 this year.

Police Chief Bryan Larkin says the service is facing a number of different budget pressures this year, and believes the budget for 2020 is an anomaly.

"It was really, in many different ways, a perfect storm. I do believe this is unique, I do believe that we have the ability, over the next couple of years, to smooth out our budgeting process," Larkin says.

The region also passed two pilot projects aimed at helping the homeless and homeless youth.